Deception
by squeakydoorknob
Summary: AU. "And the winners of the 74th Hunger Games, in a shocking tie, are District's 12 & 2!" Katniss knew she could turn to him. He was strong and reliable. And right now, more than anything, she needed that. (Catoniss with small hints of Peenis. T for mild sex scenes and language.)
1. Prologue

**Deception**

**Just to clarify. This is AU. So some of the characters might not act entirely the same as they do in the books. Also, the prologue takes place two years after the 74th HG. The main story takes place four years after.  
**

A knock on the door interrupted yet another one-sided argument between Katniss and Peeta, the sound an echoing wall between them. Katniss was glaring at Peeta, her hands balled up into tight fists. Peeta remained impassive, though some part of his facial expression hinted at a sorrow he was trying so hard to conceal. After about a minute another knock rang out and Peeta sighed. "Well go ahead, answer it. It's probably Cato."

Katniss glared until he turned, and then rolled her eyes. He was always so submissive and Katniss loathed it. She was constantly picking trying to goad him into any sort of argument, even about the most trivial things. But he never gave in to his obvious frustrations. Her fists relaxed, and she strode over the door. As she opened it she was greeted by the tall and muscular Cato. "Hey Katniss." He flashed his trademark cocky grin, and she felt her heart melt.

"Hey! Come on in!" she said enthusiastically, ignoring a raised eyebrow from Peeta.

"Hi Peeta." His tone was friendly, but Peeta simply turned his back and disappeared into the back bedroom.

"Oh don't mind him. He's in a mood again today." Katniss said, not bothering to hide the disdain in her voice. "So what brings you over here so early?" As she asked she grabbed an apple from a nearby bowl and tossed it to him.

"Oh, nothing really. Just the usual." He bit into the apple vigorously as he winked at her.

She walked over and sat beside him, stealing a nervous glance towards the shut bedroom door as she did so. "So, where are we meeting tonight?" she whispered.

He snuck in a kiss, which sent sparks through Katniss as it always did, before slipping a sheet of paper into her waiting hand. "You'll see. Just make sure Loverboy doesn't follow you."

She laughed. "That won't be too difficult. He sleeps like a log."

Cato chuckled as well before standing. "Well, I'll be off now. Don't be a stranger, eh Katniss?" He winked again before taking his leave.

Katniss stuffed the paper into a side pocket and stood. "Come on Peeta! I don't want to fight anymore. Let's bake something!" This coaxed him out of the room, albeit reluctantly. She followed him into the kitchen and watched as he prepared the work station.

There were still lingering feelings, most often brought on by seeing the passion in his eyes when it came to baking. She walked over and placed a gentle hand on his back, and he smiled faintly at her. "Let's get started."

* * *

Katniss shivered in the cold, stomping her foot in frustration. "Where is he?" she wondered aloud. The bright light of the moon shimmered off the surrounding trees, and if she were anyone other than herself it might seem eerie to her. But she of all people knew that in these woods, at least, nothing out of the ordinary would be lurking.

Finally heavy footsteps alerted her, and Cato emerged into the clearing. "About time! You're twenty minutes late!"

"Sorry." He grunted. "I thought I had a follower, so I had to take an alternate route."

"Mmm, you always were clever like that." Katniss said quietly, running her pointer finger down his chest. His lips parted, and he leaned down to kiss her. She welcomed the feeling of his strong arms and sensuous lips. Words remained unneeded as they began stripping off various articles of clothing and things started heating up. Before long they were stark naked, and he was inside her.

It was their fourth time making love, and to Katniss it was just as passionate as any time before. Their love for one another burned in every movement they made, and when it was finished Katniss knew this was something she had never experienced with Peeta, nor did she think she ever could. They lie there together for some time before reluctantly parting to find their respective clothing.

Once they were fully dressed they faced one another, gazing into each other's eyes. "Until next time." Cato said in a deep voice. "And may it be even sweeter."

Katniss smiled. "Oh, it will be." They kissed for one last time before going their opposite ways.

Katniss hurried home, for fear that Peeta might soon awaken to discover her gone. As she stepped into the large house she listened. Silence echoed throughout the home, reassuring her that he was still asleep. He wasn't really a quiet sort of guy, and he was almost always clomping around the house in his big boots. She began a strenuous tiptoe to the back bedroom, her eyes sharply peeled for any sign of movement.

Once she reached the door she turned the knob soundlessly and crept inside. Sure enough, there he was, sound asleep as indicated by the unmoving lump under the covers. She waited for a split second and then allowed herself a small breath of relief as she began undressing. Once she was properly dressed in her night clothes, she slunk over to the bed and under the covers.

She moved close to him, expecting to feel the usual warmth that his large body radiated. But he was cold to the touch, and she frowned. "Peeta, are you alright?" she asked timidly. When he failed to respond, she lifted the covers to get a better look at his face.

She thought she'd screamed, but no sound escaped her lips. Peeta was laying there with his eyes still shut tight, his throat slit. Blood pooled all around his face, caking the left side of it. He hadn't even woken up. He never saw it coming.

**NOT intended to Peeta bash! I LOVE Peeta; he's one of my favorite characters! I'm actually a Peenis fan, but obviously that can't be expressed in a Catoniss fanfiction. Hope you enjoyed, and I can't accurately say when Chapter 1 will be up. Any questions, throw 'em at me! PM or review. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 1 - Remembrance

_He hadn't even woken up. He never saw it coming._

_**Two Years Later**_

"Katniss! I'm back!" Katniss looked up from the meal she had prepared just in time to see Cato enter the kitchen. "Whatever you made, it smells great."

She smiled and stood, greeting him with a kiss. "I finished it just a few minutes ago." She had her arms up and around his neck, her fingers laced together just behind his head. "So it's nice and warm."

He grinned and put his hands on her back, pulling her towards him so as to kiss her sweetly once more. "Mmm, well you know how much I like warm food."

She laughed and released him, turning to grab his plate from the counter. "So, how is District 2 doing?"

He shrugged. "Same as always. Better off than most of the others."

Katniss nodded as she handed him his plate. "I figured as much." As she sat down to join him, her mind traveled back in time. She wondered if he knew what today was. "So what exactly did you do down there?"

"I'm helping with the preparations for the next Hunger Games. They'll be calling you down soon, I think. We're both Mentor's you know."

He always sounded a little proud when he talked about it. Katniss, however, hated being a Mentor. The last 3 years all of the District 12 tributes had died, though not always straight away. At least a couple had actually listened to her. But it still didn't get them very far. "Oh. Yeah." She muttered.

He stopped eating and looked up. "What's wrong?"

She sighed. "It's just, I thought this would all have ended by now. It should have made a difference that the four of us won, together." She remembered the day as if it had happened just yesterday. Standing there, her fingers interlocked with Peeta's, watching as Clove and Cato did the same. The announcer crying gleefully that it was a four-way tie, and wondering deep in her heart how that could be.

Everything had happened so fast after that, she wondered at times how it could possibly be four years later and how she could be engaged to the 74th Hunger Games most ruthless killer. But she loved him, and the look in his eyes told her every day that he had always felt the same. His voice broke through her thoughts as he said, "We got lucky. We should be thankful that the Gamemakers didn't force us all to fight to the death."

Katniss scoffed. "It doesn't really matter now, does it? Two of those Victors have died since then. Who's to say we won't soon meet the same fate?"

He hesitated a moment before saying, "That won't happen."

His pause confused Katniss. He wasn't ever one to refrain from speaking his mind. But right then, it had looked like he wanted desperately to say something, but couldn't bring himself to do it. She was about to speak up when a knock on the door stopped her.

Cato stood to answer it, but she placed a hand on his chest and forced him back into his seat. "I've got it. Eat your food."

She approached the door and opened it, only to find herself looking at a beaming Prim. "Hey Katniss! Are you busy?"

Katniss glanced over her shoulder. Cato was watching quietly. "I'm never too busy for you, Little Duck. Come inside."

Prim bounced past her, throwing a cheerful hello Cato's way. Katniss heard him grunt in response as she closed the door. "What brings you over Prim?" Cato asked around a mouthful of food. Katniss returned to the table, taking a seat beside Prim.

"Did you forget what today is?"

He looked puzzled. "Uh, I guess so."

Katniss shook her head, and he shot a nervous glance towards her. "It's been two years." She said quietly.

Realization dawned over his features and he dropped his fork onto his plate, pushing it away. "Oh, wow. I'm sorry Katniss." He stood, walking over and enveloping her in a strong and warm hug. "I can't believe I forgot."

She couldn't stay angry with him even if she wanted to. As he pulled away, she pecked his cheek and sighed. "It's alright. You've had a busy day. It's easy to forget things when you're busy."

She turned to Prim and hugged her. "Thanks for coming over Prim. It's nice to know I'm not the only person who remembers."

Prim nodded solemnly. "Mom wants to come over later."

Katniss smiled somewhat. "Tell her I'm looking forward to it."

Prim hugged her again and they stood, walking over to the door. As Katniss waved her goodbye and shut the door, Cato's arms wrapped around her from behind. "Want to talk about it?"

She leaned her head against his. "No. I just want to go to bed."

As she finished saying this he unexpectedly swept her off her feet and into his arms. Sometimes his strength was such a wonder to Katniss. "Well then, off to bed we go." He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.

* * *

Cato was gone when Katniss awoke the next morning, but this wasn't really out of the ordinary. She went through her usual morning routine of a shower and coffee before retiring to the couch. Inevitably, her thoughts wandered to Peeta.

She could hardly believe it had been two years since she'd come home to find his throat slit. The investigation was long and full of disappointing dead ends. It infuriated her that they never really discovered who had pulled off such a heinous crime. But it also reminded her that Cato had been her rock during this time. Without him, she wasn't quite sure if she would even still be alive and breathing.

She shook her head, trying to force the thoughts from her mind. It worked, but then they landed on an even worse subject. The Hunger Games. She would be forced to Mentor yet again. She began to understand after the 75th games why Haymitch had become such a drunk. It was a tempting life to pursue after watching two kids you worked so hard to train get killed mercilessly. And in the case of the 75th games, rather quickly.

She stood from the couch and decided that a trip out of the house would probably do her more good than anything else. As she grabbed her jacket and keys, she reached for the doorknob. A loud knock echoed through the house, startling her and causing her to wrench hand away from the knob. She waited, and another knock followed. "Ms. Everdeen, we need to talk."

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**A/N: First off, thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it! Second, sorry it took me a bit to get this up! It's been a bit difficult to find the time and the inspiration to write. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**


	3. Chapter 2 - Introducing Detective Reed

**A/N:** **First off, thank you so very much for all the reviews! I love the feedback, and hearing everyone's different theories. Also, I am so sorry that this took so long to post! I have had a lot of shit happening in life recently. Some good, but mostly bad, and it basically burned my desire to write. But I've finally found the inspiration. I hope you enjoy this chapter despite how short it is, and I thank you so much for sticking with me and this story!**

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**Disclaimer that I have never posted: I don't own the Hunger Games or any names you might recognize.**

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"_Ms. Everdeen, we need to talk."_

Katniss knew that voice. Her wariness was now replaced with a mixture of anxiety and hope. She threw the door open, revealing a very tired looking detective. "Detective Reed!"

He held up a hand as she went to ask her next question. "I'm sorry Ms. Everdeen. I'm not here about Peeta's case."

And there it was. Her cheery demeanor diminished. "Oh. I see." She thought this over as she stepped aside. "Please come in, detective."

The tall man thanked her as he stepped inside, pulling his leather coat tighter around his shoulders. His thick brown hair was slicked back, his eyes of the same color examining the apartment frantically. He turned to her as she shut the door. "Is your fiancé home?"

Katniss frowned. "No. Not at the moment."

The look of relief on his face prompted her to ask the reason for his visit. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "A very important matter. May we sit?"

She nodded and took a seat at her couch. He followed suit quickly, eyes darting about as though he was half afraid she was lying about Cato's absence. "I'm here today to discuss with you the case of your fiancé's fellow tribute's mysterious death. Perhaps you remember?"

Katniss nodded. Clove had fallen ill not long after the 74th games had ended. Many thought it odd, but diseases weren't ridiculously impossible to develop in the higher districts. Just less likely. "What about it?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "New evidence leads us to believe that foul play may have been the true cause of her death."

Katniss' frown deepened. "What sort of evidence?"

"Blood work." He stated simply. "It shows a toxin was present in her system prior to her death. Somehow, these results were lost while the case was still open, which led to it being closed as a simple disease related death. However, In light of this new evidence, the case had been reopened."

Finally she understood. "And Cato is your lead suspect, isn't he?"

His discomfort couldn't have been more obvious. "Indeed he is. I need to know Ms. Everdeen, has he been acting suspiciously recently?"

Katniss scoffed. "Not at all. He's very attentive, always comes home when he says he will. He's the perfect fiancé in every way."

"Aside from the fact that he just happened to forget the two year anniversary of your previous boyfriend's death?"

A prickle of fear entered her heart, but was immediately drowned out by rage. "How would you know that? No one but myself, Cato and Prim knew about that!"

"And your mother."

Katniss cursed him instantly as the words left his mouth. "You spoke to my mother?"

He nodded. "She was very helpful. Absolutely assured me that Cato couldn't have had any sort of hand in Clove's death. He's too sweet a boy." The look on his face made her want to murder him. "The 74th Hunger Game's most ruthless killer, a sweet boy. I'm sorry if I find that difficult to believe Ms. Everdeen."

She stood. "Get out. Now."

He stood as well, leaning over her threateningly. "If you're covering for him Ms. Everdeen, things will not go well for you." And he leaned down further, until she could feel his breath on her right ear. "And think about this, Girl on Fire. If he killed Clove, it's very possible that he could have killed Peeta as well."

She hated him. As he left, she watched with hands balled into fists, wishing this were the arena and she had permission to end his miserable existence right there. It was probably the only time in her life that she wished she were actually in the arena again.


End file.
